Dipper



July 29, 1952 G. M. NICHOLSON DIPPER Filed March 31, 1948 .M, Nichoisaw INVENTOR Patented July 29, 1952 DIPPER Claims.

The present'invention relates broadly to excavating apparatus and in its specific phases to a side operated, split bowl, ash dipper. With s't'ok'e'rl fired house heating furnaces of the .type now in [common use, all of the ashes and clinkers haveltbibe' removed from the furnace fire pot throughthe doorway normally used for hand firing. 1 These ;clinkers"are commonly removed fwithija; hook; or (hook-ended tongs, and the ashes,withlan ordinary shovel. Removing ashes in this manner'froma-furnace is far from satisfactory sincetheeo'nly ashes readily accessible to the shovelare'those atthe furnace doorway level, and some of those at the back of the furnacebelow doorway level. The shortcomings of this ash'shoveliii procedure and separate requirementgjof;clinker i'tongs lead to the conception and development'of the present invent f ."Ac'cordinglyamong-the objects of the present invention-isv the provision ofa'n'ew type of ash dipperadapted-'tdremove ashes from a stoker fired house heating furnaceabove and below its doorway level-frorn front to back of the fire pot of v the -furnace} Another object' is -to provide an ash dipper which; is also adapted to grip and pick up small cl inkers in the furnace fire'pot.

otherobject isto provide a depending split bowl aShQdipper- With'a side extending operating handle-mechanism.

Another object is 'to provide the ash dipper I with pivoted clam-shaped dipper jaws; which are preferably sharpened, and operable through an elongated operating handle assembly projecting j PATENT v q -George M. Nicholson, Battle Creek, Mich.

- Application March 31, 1948, Serial No. 18360 2 1 Figure 2 shows a top view of the assembly illus trated in Figure'l'. 1 g r f Figure 3 shows an end view as taken at line 3-3 of Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows, 'with the bottom of the dipper'bowl partially opened". 5

Figure 4 shows a fragmentary perspective View of a modified form of the bowl portion of the present invention.

Referring more particularly to Figures 1, 2, and 3 of the drawing, it will be noted that the dipper-bowl l is formed in' two parts-indicatedby the numerals la andf lb; "Bowl member la is provided with extending earsz, while b'owl member lb has inwardlydepressed extending ears 3. All four of said ears are drilledin alignment for a purpose to be hereinafter described Welded' 'to one of the ears 2 and in axial alignment withthe' openings in bothofsaid ears 2, is an elongated tubular handle member .4 which preferably has sidewise projecting gripping-members 5 suitably spaced from the'free'end'of the handle member. Extending through this tubular handle 'member, for free rotation therein; is an inner handle member 6 which has a" gripping member I at its free end,-whilethe otherend of said'member. 6 passes throughears 2. and 3' of bowl members la and lb, and is preferably anchored, as by welding, to both; of theears 3 of bowl member b while acting as a pivot bearing for ear 2 at the outer end of bowl-member I "la. To facilitate use of theassembly, the biting sidewisethe efro'mic'oaxially-pwith"pivots of said jaws."'-

a A -still further object of theirinventionis torprovide a device of this character 'whichwill possess advantages in points :of'efficiency and durability,

"is f inexpensive 'to manufacture, and atthe same time is simple in'construction and operation.

' Stillfurther' objects andadvantagesofthe invention will appearas the. description proceeds.

z Tothe accomplishment of, the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then; .consists of the "means hereinafter fully desoribed, and particular;- 'ly pointed? out in 'the. claims, the; annexed draw- In the place of the split hemisphericalsteel bowl shownin Figures 1, 2,-and 3, thedipper assembly of the. present invention may. be made in any other suitable. form, such as with a bowl, Figure '4, having substantially flat steel end panels 8, 9, I0, and l I, and-curvedsteel side panels l2 and 13. This constructio'nmay be made either from stamped parts welded together with'the ears in proper location, or it may be made as two complete stampings .withwe'ars in place, or with ears welded in place after stamping. On the other hand with the hemispherical bowl,l the preferred procedure is to stamp ahemisphere of suitable size from heavy gage. sheet metal, and

split same to form members JaIand lb, to which ears 2 and Stray be welded in conyentional man'- ner after suitably offsettingv the portion adjacent ears 3 to form the overlapping assembly construclength b'owl Land a outside diameter tubular extended into the furnace fire pot (not shown).

The bottom of the dipper bowl is pivotally opened by operating the handle members, and the bowl dropped down into the ashes with the bottom of the bowl down. By turning the handle-members in the opposite direction the bottom of the-bowl will be closed to take a bite from the bed of ashes. The dipper assembly is then removed, emptied, and returned to the furnace as before to, continue the processuntil the surplus ashe's'in the fire pot .cfithe .filrnaceare removed. At the sametime thebowl-ot the dipper-assembly maybe used to grip and remove small clinkers andthus avoid any necessity of req i ng atong type clinker remover, v a a Other modes of applying the principle of my invention maybe employed instead of thoseexplained; chan ebeingmade as regards the article and combinations herein" disclosed, provided the meanssta-ted by-any ofthe following claims or the equivalentof suchstat d m ans e mp oy d- Ixtherefore partiqulai ilyipoint out and distinctly V 7 claim as my-invention;

1. A hand-tooleithecharac r d ri prising an open top. substantially closed-bottom bowl, said bowl being; non-telescoping and; split,

:aligned 183,1 means; at lthei'opposite sides of the upper edgeof said bowliforluse' in-hingedlyjoining said split with saidsplit extending-fromsaid ear-means through the bottom of said bowl,.a sidewise -projecting handle member substantially inalignment with-said aligned ears of said 'hinge means and rigidly joined 'to one side ofone of said split sections .of said bowlya second handle member substantially coaxial with said first handle member and in'alignment with said alignedearhinge means, said second handle member being'rigidly joined to the other of said split-sections, and operating means on said handle members-for use in rotating same relative to each other 'togopen and close the-bottom of said bowl.

2, In ,a'hand operated ash dipper having an open top bowl, said'bowlhaving a substantially closed" bottom andbeing split crosswise through the bottom of said bowlintd two substantially equal size mating-loom sections which are nontelescoping; aligned pivot means at the opposite sides of the upper i portion of said bowl-at the mating edges-of samefor use in pivotally hinging said bowl sections together; a tubular handle member rigidly fastened toonesideof one of said bowl sections at"'said';aligned-pivot means and co-axial' therewith, -a second handle -member within said-tubular handle member andextendingthrough said aligned pivot means on opposite sides .of theopen topofrsaidboWLsaid second handle-member being jrigi'dly anchored to the opposite edges of the second of saidbowl sections and acting as thehinge upon which said first bowl sections can berrotatably supported by its car at its edge oppositeits ear fastened to said The inner handle member" 4 in actuating said mating bowl sections to open and close the bottom of said bowl.

3. An ash dipper suitable for hand operation, which consists of an open top bowl, said bowl. being split crosswise through the bottom of said bowl into two substantially equal size matin hollow bowl sections which are non-telescoping,. overlapping ear means having aligned openings at the upper portion of thematingedges of said bowl sections'rfor use ,pivotallyhinging said bowl sections together, an elongated tubular handle member rigidly fastened to one side of one of said bowl sections in axial alignment with said aligned pivot openings, a second handle member Within said tubular handle member and extending .coaxially therefrom across the top ofsaidbowl-and through said aligned openings in the overlapping aligned ear means on both sides of the open top of said bowl, said second handlemember being'rigidly anchored to the second .orsaid bowlsections "and acting in cooperationwi'th thealigned ear remote from'sa-id tubular handle 7 member :as a. trunnion upon which the first of vsaid.bowlfsections can be supported and relatively move for rotatably opening and.olosing'theibottomiof said bowl, a sidewise projecting gripping 7 member on said tubular handle a member, and .a: gripping means on the free end of said-secondhandle member, whereby relative ,rotationuo'f lthe ltwo handle members; and the actuation ofisaid mating ibowl sections for opening and closingofthelbottom of said bowl, is facilitated.

4. An .ashdipper suitable forjhand operation. which consists of -an-,-openitop bowl, said bowl bein :Split crosswise throughthe bottom ofsaid bowl into two substantially equal size mating hollow bowl sections which are non-telescoping, overlapping ,eanmeans having aligned openings ,at'the upperportionoflthe mating edgesof said bowllrsections foruse inpivotally hinging said bowl sections together, the cars of one of-said bowl sections being adjacent but between the ears of the other of said bowl sections the mating edges 10f said. ;bowl sections being relatively sharp to ,facilitate idippingguse, an elongated tubular handle member, rigidly-fastened; to -only one side of one ofisaid bowlisections in axial alignment with said :aligned 1- pivot openings, 7 a second handle member within said tubular handle -member and .extending';coaxia1 y' therefrom across the "top 0f, said :bowl and through said aligned openings-in the: overlapping earmeans on "both sides of the2op.en:.top;,of: said bowl, ai second handle member being rigidlyranchored to the ears of the second of said bowl sectionsat both-edges thereofland acting rasiaiprojecting trunnion about =-which onexof the tears "which forms: a trunnion 'bearingofxthe first jof;said

bowl sections 1 can relatively move during the opening and closing of the'bottomxof said bowl, a sidewise projecting gripping member on said tubular handle :member, and: a gripping means on the free end ofysaid {second handle member,

"whereby relative rotation :01 ithe :two handle members, and the actuatlon of s ai'd mating bowl sectionstfor opening and closing of the bottom of said bowl, is facilitated.

5. Ina dipperhaving a=substantially vertically split non-telescoping bowl open at its ;top' and adapted to be closedand opened-at" its bottom for filling and emptyingpurposes, and wherein said split bowl is mountedlon an elongated handle having inner and outer;- concentric members which extend outward irom the side or :said

bowl substantially at the top of the split thereof, said concentric members having operating members for use in rotating one concentric member relative to the other for hingedly opening and closing said split bowl at its bottom, the combination therewith of ears on opposite sides of said split bowl members with all of said ears perforated in alignment on the axis about which said split bowl members pivot for filling and emptying purposes, the outer concentric member of said elongated handle being rigidly fastened to the outer ear of one of said split bowl members in alignment with said pivot axis, and the inner of said concentric members of said elongated handle passing through all of said 15 ears on said pivotal axis and rigidly anchored to both of the ears of the other of said split bowl members while forming a trunnion bearing for the ear at the opposite side of said split bowl 6 member from said ear thereof on which said outer handle member is rigidly fastened.

GEORGE M. NICHOLSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS Dawn Nov. 1, 1938 

